Page 24 of Minnie: Double, Double, Toil and Trouble

I turn to Vigga. “Are you hiring?”

She shakes her head. “Marty with a D filled the last vacancy. But don’t worry, he won’t last long.”

“I can hear you,” he snaps as he rearranges the contents of Natty’s wagon. “And I’m not going anywhere.”

“Check back in a few weeks,” Vigga suggests.

Which doesn’t help, since by then it will be too late.

Marty with a D finishes checking us and I wheel Natty toward the gate. When we’re about to step through it, all the spells affecting me dissipate.

Silver Springs Penitentiary is warded, which means no magic works once we pass through the gate. My feet ache without Cloud 9 ½, and the cold, biting wind slaps my bare limbs, reminding me that a short-sleeve skimpy dress is a poor choice without Summer Spritz. Natty’s in a t-shirt, but there’s a nice warm blanket in the wagon, and I wrap it around his shoulders.

The effects of the curse and Formula M vanish, too, and I can no longer sense where Julian is. Nor do I care. For the duration of my visit, I’m blissfully free.

I can also say or do whatever I want. I shoot Natty a huge grin and bounce up and down on my toes since I feel so free. “Ready to see Daddy?”

“Excited!” Natty cries. As in he literally shouts the word aloud as he claps and bounces up and down in the wagon.

It’s so adorable I can’t help but giggle. I love giggling!

But I can’t help being aware of the downsides. If anything goes wrong, Formula M’s calming effects won’t kick in. And if I can’t think of the right thing to say, I’ll just look like a fool.

Plus, my nails are just plain ugly without the longer, perfectly polished Enchanted Nails. And without Spelled Smooth, my perfectly straight red hair frizzes around my head.

Plus, when a blue jay flies overhead and calls out to me, I don’t understand what it’s trying to say. It just sounds like a bird. And despite my inability to access my powers, the prison still feels like the one place in the world where I can be myself.

Potion-Free Minnie.

Or maybe just free.

It’s not something I like to admit, even to myself, and it’s made me wonder what it reveals about my character.

“Why did we stop?” Natty asks.

“Sorry,” I tell him and resume walking.

Natty claps. “I want to see Daddy.”

“Me too, bud. Me too.” My cheeks flush and my heart does a little somersault.

I love visiting Natty’s dad.

Zachariah Riehl may be a criminal, but he’s also the kindest man I’ve ever met. He’s a loving dad to Natty and, over the last two years, he’s also become a good friend.

I may even have a bit of a crush on the man, though that’s definitely one-sided. The only reason Zachariah likes me is because I take care of his son and bring him for regular visits. But I know for a fact that my feelings for him are one hundred percent real, since I can feel them inside the warded prison. And I also know that Formula M and the curse are actively preventing me from being interested in anyone but Julian, since my feelings for Zachariah are always dampened the minute I step outside the boundary of the ward.

I pause and take a moment to think about Gorg. Or whoever the hell was hiding behind the gorgon exterior. Is he really my fated mate? Or was the magic connecting us fake? Yet another trick of Maude Montgomery’s, meant to somehow control my life?

All I feel when I think about him is annoyance. But maybe I just need time to get to know him. The real him. Or maybe it’s all a trap.

But that’s a problem for another time. There’s a kind, handsome prisoner waiting for us, and a little boy who’s excited to see his daddy.

Chapter 13

Minnie

My heart races as we step inside the prison, but it’s excitement, not fear. I’m probably more comfortable and at home in Silver Springs Penitentiary than anywhere else in town, and I can’t wait to see Zachariah.